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Writer's pictureJessica Sweeney

Case Study: How Poppy Scrubs went from concept to sales in 14 months

Poppy Scrubs brand launch
Poppy Scrubs brand launch

In the Fall of 2018, Alex & Natalie had an idea for a brand of better apparel for medical professionals and set forth to bring it to life. Alex has an extensive background in e-commerce and Natalie is a top pediatric ICU nurse. Between the two of them, they knew what nurses needed and had the marketing covered. Now they needed the right development partner to help create their physical products- good looking scrubs that fit, feel, and function better.


Here at Rise Apparel Development, we work primarily with small companies and individuals who have a clear and decisive vision to make garments that improve lives. Mission based and sustainable clothing are a top priority. When we had our first introductory call with Alex and Natalie, we immediately knew we wanted to help doctors and nurses feel more comfortable and not be struggling with their clothing while working long, late shifts, often all their feet all day. People busy saving lives and caring for others should get to focus on their patients, not on constantly readjusting their itchy shirt collar or pulling up pants that slip down.


Together, we began with the “Get Started” concept to first sample package. With one party in CA and the other in WA, we had a video call to go over all the details and fit requirements desired. Jessica at Rise sent a hand drawn sketch back to confirm all the styling. She then worked through sourcing the right fabrics and trims, creating tech packs, and getting the first samples made in a way that could be worn for testing. As Alex wrote once the first samples were received, “Really nice work and attention to detail, we’re both kind of stunned honestly...prototypes are supposed to suck!”. Natalie was able to start wearing the first samples right away in order to provide more feedback to further perfect the scrubs.


From there, we refined the first sample and had a second one made as well as sampling in other sizes to make sure the fit worked well for a variety of bodies. The samples came out great and Alex and Natalie were quick to decide to move everything forward in the USA for the quickest production. After 14 months, more than 500 hours of total wear testing, several fit samples, and 11 pockets later, the scrubs Natalie had envisioned were launched for sale on their website. Many nurses are already enjoying their original Poppy Scrubs. Get yours today at PoppyScrubs.com ! You can read more about the Poppy story at https://www.poppyscrubs.com/pages/ourstory


Ready to start your brand? Contact us at https://www.developapparel.com/contact


Wilder top and Bodie bottoms - Poppy Scrubs
Wilder top and Bodie bottoms - Poppy Scrubs

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